"It looks like it," replied the other, and although he spoke in his
usual mellow voice, the Squire pricked up his ears and looked at him
inquiringly. The tone was more imperious than that ordinarily used by
Hardwick, and had in it a dominant, crushing quality which startled the
visitor.
The two men stared hard at one another. Hardwick took up his position on
the hearth-rug, leaning easily against the mantelpiece, while Enistor
took possession of a deep arm-chair near the window. The door was
closed, as was the window, so they were quite alone; entirely free from
observation and eavesdropping. The Squire felt that in spite of
Hardwick's late cataleptic trance the artist was more alive than he was,
since wave after wave of powerful animal vitality seemed to emanate from
him and fill the little room. Then Enistor cried out with sudden terror.
He had reason to do so. Every nerve in his body was aching with agony,
and every muscle was twisted with pain. Some force ran through his frame
like fire, excruciating, insistent and terrible. He could not rise from
the chair, he could not even move a finger, but lay where he was inert
and helpless, with that devouring flame tormenting him to madness. And
indeed Enistor wondered why he did not go mad with the frenzy of pain,
while Hardwick smiled on him quietly and calmly and unwinkingly, like an
avenging god. After that one cry the miserable man uttered no other. He
felt that it would be useless to protest in any weak human way. He was
in the grip of a tremendous force and as helpless as a fly in the claws
of a spider.
"I don't think you will taunt me any more with the loss of my power,"
said Hardwick suavely. "I am a fraud, am I? my will has been shattered?
Eh? How do you like that, my dear friend?" and again there came another
surge of the biting fire, which caused the perspiration to break out on
Enistor's forehead.
"Who--who--who are you?" stammered the Squire brokenly. He was beginning
to have an inkling of the appalling truth, for he well knew that only
one man--if man he were--could exercise such devilish power.
"I think you can tell me that."
"Narvaez!"
"Exactly!" The magician withdrew his intense gaze, and loosened his
victim from the bonds of torment, then sat down quietly, smiling and
bland. "I think you have had enough proof."
Enistor feebly moved his limbs and wiped his forehead with his
pocket-handkerchief. His mouth was so dry that he could scarcely speak,
and he thankfully poured out a glass of water from a carafe which was on
the table. As he drank, a delicious sense of freedom from pain passed
through him, and he knew that the man lounging in the chair was curing
what he had hurt. "I have had enough proof," gasped Enistor, setting
down the empty glass. "You are Don Pablo in Hardwick's body."